Twilight Sparkle narrows her eyes at the text she had just read. And so she read it again. Then again. Then once more, until the words didn't even sound like words any more. She dropped the book down and peered around the oaken library.
"Spike? Where'd you go?" A muffled sound came from the kitchen and she rolled her eyes. Did he always have to be stuffing his face with rubies? "Spike, have you heard about... well, come here, Spike." The drake, whose mouth still uncleverly hid a large bounty of jewels, arrived looking exasperated. He muffled a few words, urging the alicorn to speak.
"Spike, I was doing some reading..." An eye roll from Spike. "And I found this term. It reads 'There were once ponies who could speak with the dead, not to bring them back, but to dance. To celebrate. To hear the warnings and...." Twilight paused, narrowing her eyes at the text. "And that's where it ends."
Twilight slammed the book shut and dropped it on the paneled floor with a sigh. Spike continued chewing up his all-too-many gems, pondering what had just been read to you. With one last swallow followed by a pleasing shudder, Spike turned to Twilight Sparkle.
"Well... I haven't actually heard of something like that. I mean, raising the dead to dance around with other ponies... it sounds kind of pointless, don't you think? But it doesn't sound too crazy. I mean, I could imagine a fair amount of ponies doing something. Maybe Zecora, Princess Luna, definitely Pinkie...." Spike continued to form a short list of ponies who might do such an absurd thing, but Twilight was no longer listening. The gears in her head were churning at the sound of Princess Luna's name.
"Hm... Spike?" He stopped listing ponies and looked back up from his spiked feet. "Do you know for certain if anypony actually does this. Especially Princess Luna?" Spike smirked a bit.
"No. But why does it matter? Ya know, Twilight, just because you find something in an old book doesn't mean it's always important. If we're both being honest here, this is something you do all the time." Once again Twilight neglected to listen to her faithful dragon. Instead, she picked up the old book once again, her violet hooves wrapping around the careful binding. The book itself was a basic history of Equestria, but it was published about 50 years prior. These kind of books always got Twilight giddy - the history or history? No better book for her.
The first 100 or so pages were in fantastic condition, telling about Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and what their powers gave to the land of Equestria. The last 100, however, couldn't even be considered sub-par when it came to condition. Most words were scratched out, worn away by weather, falling off, and smothered in both dirt and dust. It didn't make for an easy read, but all it did was make Twilight more fascinated.
On page 189, the curious words wore away into the pages. Ponies that had become dead, to dance with their ancestors... it was a fascinating concept to the inquisitive purple unicorn. Something that she considered interesting to try out in the future. But first, research must be completed. Was this something she could come back from? Be alright afterwords? Important questions swirled around her head as a list began to form.
Step one - speak to the Princess of the Night.
Every night,
She climbs in bed,
My eyes open,
Unfog my head,
Look around,
Such pretty sights,
Stars twinkling,
No end in sight.
I wake up,
Ready to start,
Work to
Be done,
Leaving marks,
On the piles,
That I have
To sort.
It doesn't
Take long,
Until
I'm tired,
Of doing what I'm doing,
Never flying higher,
Above this abyss,
Of normalty,
It's plain awful,
This
Immorality.
Then I think,
Oh, I think hard,
I remember,
What she told me,
Remember she
Scarred,
My mind and
I know it's
Time,
To change this pace,
To fly ever high.
I've stayed
Too long,
My time is up,
I can't enjoy what,
I don't love,
I step up,
My eyes
Stare onward,
I'm ready to leave,
To travel yonder.
I know where to go,
I know what to do,
It's only,
If I,
Journey through,
The dark
Hallways,
That stop me
Every time.
This time is
Different,
And I know
Why,
It's real
Now the time
Is nigh,
I know it's
Time to,
Dance among
The stars.
The fear is gone,
I'm sickened now,
I don't want to stay,
I need to leave somehow,
I dart through,
The empty halls,
I see every shadow,
Bounce across the wall.
I'm there in no time,
Yet it seems like years,
An old wooden door,
With golden sears,
Those whose eyes,
Only look don't see,
Wouldn't notice,
Anything worth,
The time of thee.
I climb in,
I watch my step,
The floor is broken,
I can hear my breath,
The only thing,
That's holding me back,
Is fear.
I wobble forward,
Staring on,
At the desk before me,
I'm nearly gone,
Moonlight washes,
Across the room,
It lights the dark that,
Never ceases to loom.
Opening the desk,
I widen my eyes,
An orb falls out,
I can't help but sigh,
With trembling hooves,
I tow it out,
I'm so scared to leave,
I almost forget how.
Then I snap back,
Like a rubber band,
I came for a reason,
I came because I can.
I need to leave,
This place is not,
For me.
I say the words,
Under my breath,
I swear I can hear,
The voice of death,
Whisper in,
My ear,
It's time to go back home.
An eerie glow,
Fills the room,
I can hear pounding,
I can hear my doom,
A smile spreads,
As my wings unfold,
My skin grows dark,
My sanity unfolds.
I am changed.
I am fear.
I no longer tremble at the voices I hear.
The sounds of my siblings
Dead and alive,
I am gone and free,
I said goodbye to my life,
She told me of a way I could escape,
All the fear, all the hate,
The way it seemed to leave me scarred,
But I'm not any longer,
I am dancing in the stars.
Three loud knocks caused Princess Celestia's eyes to shoot open. But how? The castle entrance was all the way downstairs, and beyond a few hallways. At the same time it had sounded so close... pushing off the thought as a mere dream, Princess Celestia lay her fair head back down on her pillow, ready to resume her slumber.
Knock, knock, knock!
This time it was easy for Celestia to identify where the sound had come from - the window! Being the royally powerful princess she was, no fear covered up her alarm. Only curiosity. Who - or even what - could it possibly be? Before the Solar Princess could reach the door, however, it flew open on it's own account. The wind blew so strongly Celestia was forced to brace against the massive gale. Joining the strong winds came words, strung together in prose and song.
Here in these stars,
I have yearned to dance,
To dance among those,
Who have left.
Very little understand,
They think I'm crazy at best,
Little do they know,
I'm willing to take the chance...
As the wind slowed down and the words faded back into the dark of night, Celestia rubbed her tired eyes and stepped out onto her regal balcony. In the sky the moon hung, round and full, behind the top most tower. Standing on the towers' balcony, dark hair swirling around in the light of the moon, her mouth open as if in song, stood Princess Luna, her wings spread. From so far away all Celestia could see was her pose. But if she had been closer she could have seen the tears streaming down her midnight blue face.
